(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telephone, and more particularly to an analog telephone having a hand-set to be used also as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a personal computer.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A prior art telephone of the kind to which the present invention relates will now be described to assist the understanding of the present invention. Such a prior art telephone is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 1 showing an outer view, and FIG. 2 showing, in a block diagram, the internal construction of the telephone. The telephone has a body 1 which has a hook switch HSW. The hook switch HSW is turned on and off by placing and removing a hand-set 2 on and from the body 1. The body of the telephone also has a connector (or modular jack) 3 provided on its top for line connection.
The hand-set 2, as shown in FIG. 2, includes a microphone (i.e., electret condenser microphone, dynamic type microphone, piezoelectric type microphone, etc.) 22 as an electro-acoustic transducer device, and a loudspeaker (of dynamic type, piezoelectric type, etc.) 21, and is used as an exclusive device for the body 1 of the telephone.
The hand-set 2 is connected through a hand-set connection connector 4 in the telephone body 1 to a telephone circuit, i.e., dial/speach circuit 11. The dial/speach circuit 11 is connected through a hook switch HSW to the connector 3.
The connector 3 is also connected through a series circuit consisting of a capacitor C and a resistor R to a ringer circuit 12. The ringer circuit 12 drives a ringer loudspeaker 13.
For speech communication with other computer users through such computer networks as internets and intranets, it is necessary to use a computer such as a PC (personal computer) as an exclusive outer microphone and a loudspeaker (including a head set). This means that it is desired to use the hand-set shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as a voice input/output device for a computer as well.
Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai Publication No. Sho 63-97948 shows a terminal device (such as a facsimile device) with a hand-set device, in which a hook switch should be provided on the hand-set side. This device permits use of a four-pin modular jack for the connection between the hand-set and device body 1 while two lines for transmitter and two lines for receiver remain independent from one another.
This technique, however, does not permit the use of accessory hand-set as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a PC.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. Hei 1-292949 discloses a technique, in which an accessory hand-set can be utilized inside a facsimile device having a voice response function to record response messages for recording in absence.
Again the disclosed technique does not permit use of accessory hand-set as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a PC.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to overcome the problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a telephone which permits a hand-set accessory therefor to be also used as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a PC.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a telephone having a modular jack for being connected to a telephone line, comprising: a telephone circuit; a connector capable of being connected to a voice input/output interface in a network for a computer; and selecting means for making a selection as to whether a hand-set having a microphone and a loudspeaker is to be connected to the connector or to the telephone circuit.
The selecting means may include a switch for connecting a ringer loudspeaker as well to the connector when the hand-set is selected to be connected to the telephone circuit. The selecting means may also include a switch for disconnecting the telephone circuit from the telephone line when the hand-set is selected to be connected to the connector.
The invention is featured in a function or an arrangement in which the hand-set of the telephone can also be connected, as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a PC, to the voice input/output interface for the computer network.